I woke up. I made my bed and headed downstairs to eat. Today was the third day of school.
"Good morning, Young Master Shin."
"Good morning to you too, Head Butler Steve."
Just as I sat down, the food was brought out of the kitchen. A plentiful breakfast was laid before me, and it smelled absolutely amazing.
I'll never get used to this.
I dug in. Head Chef Correll had done it again. I've made scrambled eggs on toast before, but it was never this good.
As I ate, Grandma and Grandpa entered the dining room.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
They were given the same food. Unsurprisingly, they liked it too.
Since I started eating earlier than everyone, I was also the first to finish. While I was eating, however, I noticed that Thomas had yet to come down. His seat remained empty.
Is he sleeping in again?
After excusing myself from the table, I headed straight to his room. It took a good two minutes of walking until I arrived before it.
"Bro, wake up. We have school."
Although I knew that Thomas planned to drop out, following the procedures to do so takes some time. Students are usually still required to continue attending until everything is finalized, which may take weeks.
"Thomas?"
But no matter how many times I called out, there was no answer.
I checked the door. It wasn't locked.
"I'm coming in," I said as I twisted the handle.
The room was large, with a similar layout to my own. However, it was unnaturally empty. It felt as though someone had just moved out.
I glanced over to the bed. My brother couldn't be under those tidy sheets.
Search Magic.
Despite covering the entire estate in my magic, I found no trace of him.
"Is that gold?"
Near the foot of the bed were gold coins on the floor. When I picked them up, they were much heavier than the coins I was used to, interestingly enough.
I stacked the coins on the bed before heading to the dining room. Grandpa and grandma were still eating. I asked them if they knew where Thomas had gone.
"He isn't in his room? Maybe he went to the academy early. He's done that before, hasn't he?"
"I guess."
I got dressed before making my way to Sizilien's home. As her new bodyguard, I'll be escorting her to the academy everyday.
"Good morning, Shin."
"Offu... I mean, good morning too!"
She's so cute.
On the way to the academy, Maria joined us as well. I kept my search magic alert the entire time. Thankfully, no problems popped up.
The academy was quite empty, probably because we came pretty early. Similarly, we were the first ones in the Class S classroom.
He's not here either.
I waited and waited and waited. He still wasn't here even when class officially started. Even when classes ended and I hurried home, Thomas was nowhere to be found. Not in the training area, not in Grandpa Merlin's cabin, nowhere at all.
Where has he gone?
...
...
...
Ten days later, Grandpa broke the news of an alliance between all the neighboring nations, and a week after that, 14 new students joined Class S, bringing the number from the original 11 to 25.
Aug was quick to establish relations and with the new students. Although he faced some difficulties getting along with the ones from the Empire, our classes were not too affected.
Well, apart from this particular change.
"Holy shit! Am I dreaming, Shin? Tell me I'm not dreaming. Slap me right now and tell me I'm not dreaming!"
"Aug, you're a bit too loud."
"But your grandpa," he pointed to the front of the class where Grandpa Merlin was in the middle of introducing himself, "is teaching us magic! The one and only!"
"It's not a big deal dude."
Of course, everyone who heard my words glared at me rather harshly. Okay, maybe it was special for them, but certainly not for me.
Grandpa expertly taught the class the syllabus. He had 15 years to practice with me and my brother after all, so it wasn't surprising. Everyone understood the content easily while any questions raised was also explained well. When the period for group study came, instead of studying, all the members of our Ultimate Magic Research Society worshiped Grandpa Merlin like there was no tomorrow.
Just for today, I'll let it pass.
Once school ended, I chatted with Sizilien and Maria as I escorted the former home. Both of them became extra motivated to study after today.
"Hah! Now you won't be the only one learning under the great Master Merlin! I'll be taking first place in no time!"
"In your dreams, Maria."
"I th-think I'm happy with being able to learn under Master Merlin... but it's also scary. This would have never happened if... you know..." said Sizilien with clear uncertainty.
I nodded my head to that. I haven't forgotten the reason why.
These sudden changes happened because of that hidden organization. To this day, we still knew nothing about who they are or what their goal is. But I had my suspicions.
They took my brother. They must have. It can't be a coincidence.
"See you, Shin!"
"Goodbye and take care, S-Shin."
"Yeah, see you guys tomorrow."
I made a gate and, while smiling warmly and waving the girls goodbye, disappeared from sight. The magic training area was my destination. I've been coming here for the past few days with one goal in mind.
I clasped my hands together. As I slowly separated them, I imagined the principles behind one of the world's most lethal force.
Create positive and negatively charged ions on each hand.
Magic power did as I willed it. My left contained purely positively charged ions while my right contained the opposite. A feeling of attraction took hold of my limbs as an electric field naturally formed. I resisted it and continued increasing the concentration of ions on both hands.
An audible buzzing reached my ears. Then I saw it. A thin tendril of light jumping from one hand to the other.
"Ow!"
Something stung me. I checked my palm and found a tiny mark where the light had jumped to and fro.
Lightning. I finally made natural lightning.
"Yes!"
There was something significantly different about the lightning made from magic and one made naturally. As an example, magical lightning is significantly slower than natural lightning to the point that it can be dodged. I mean, lightning moves at the speed of light, doesn't it? So why is the lightning created with Grandpa's magic knowledge so damn slow?
There can only be one reason. It's the fact that magical lightning is a mere imitation, supported only by the power of imagination. Magicians don't know of the principles behind a lightning strike. All they know about is the lightning strike and how cool it is, so when they try to copy it, the resulting lightning falls flat compared to the real thing. Magic power alone can't bridge that gap in knowledge and power. It's for the same reason how no one can understand why the flames I make are pale blue.
Well, unless Thomas is involved. He's an exception.
I don't really get it, but somehow all the magic he does works out well. I asked him how he made blue flames, and he replied with, 'I just imagined really hot fire lol.'
In a way, Thomas is the one casting real magic. I still need to follow the laws of physics, but that guy's just breaking them with his 'power of imagination.'
And somehow, that same brother of mine has gone missing.
I have to see him.
...
...
...
Three months. It's been three months since I've last seen my brother, yet no news of him had reached my ears.
During that time, Grandma Melinda and I managed to create a communication device similar to a wireless telephone. They were powered by rare magic stones so they were expensive to make at first, but I managed to figure out how to artificially create magic stones and thus could now mass-produce the magic tool.
The transfer of information between countries was faster, almost instantaneous even. But the hidden organization hadn't made a move all this time. Perhaps they had done something and we were just unaware. At the very least, no more kidnappings had occurred, and we have no leads.
In a way, the world has been incredibly peaceful.
But I wasn't satisfied with that.
"Uncle Dis. It's me, Shin."
I knocked on the door. There was no response.
"I know you're in there, Uncle Dis. You know what I'm here for."
"Tsk."
The door swiveled open, revealing not Uncle Dis but my former combat teacher and Sword Saint, Uncle Michel. He wore equipment befitting his Sword Saint title—expertly crafted light armor and a sheathed sword that was undoubtedly inhumanely sharp.
What is he doing here?
"What is it, Shin?"
"I'm here to ask about the clue Uncle Dis found."
"I've never heard of such a thing."
"Uncle Michel, don't lie. I overheard Grandpa while he was on the phone."
"You probably just misheard. Besides, shouldn't you be in school right now? Go back to class."
Uncle Michel tried to close the door, but I wedged my foot between the gap.
"I'm not leaving until I know what you know."
We were at an impasse. No matter how much Uncle Michel pushed, my foot wouldn't budge and the door remained open. Uncle Michel looked back into the room, presumably to Uncle Dis, and said, "Can't we just tell him?"
Uncle Dis, however, didn't approve. "This is our matter to deal with, Shin, not fledglings like you. I understand why you're doing this, but we can't lose you too."
"I'm not a child anymore! Allow me to help! You know what I am capable of!" I insisted, but his mind was set.
Seeing that, Uncle Michel urged me to leave. "You heard the man. Come on, go back to class."
"Not until I hear what I want to hear."
I pushed the door with physical enhancement magic coursing through my veins. A moment later, Uncle Michel did the same.
The door creaked as it couldn't handle the forces acting upon it. With Uncle and I pressing on it, the door practically exploded.
Uncle Michel grinned. "It's been a while since we fought. I'm glad to see that you haven't been slacking."
"I don't have the luxury," I replied.
I threw a punch. So did he. Our fists collided, creating a shockwave that shattered nearby windows.
Why won't they understand?
An onslaught; a mixture of punches and kicks blurred into a spectacle for only those capable enough to see it.
Despite pushing my physical enhancement magic to its limits, Uncle Michel deflected my blows and returned with lethal counters. I was moving faster than he was but a combination of skill and experience made him a fearsome opponent. Most importantly, he had yet to draw his sword. I haven't made him feel the need to.
He wasn't this good before, but sparring with Thomas... turned him into a monster.
"Stop fighting! Both of you!" Uncle Dis went ignored as I got kicked through a wall. Made of hard stone or something similar, crashing through it sent a painful ache throughout my body.
A groan escaped me as I hit the floor.
I just want my brother back.
I lost sight of my opponent. Crashing through the wall sent dust flying. Everywhere I looked was filled with a thick shroud of dust.
Search Magi—
I heard a whistle in the air. Instinct took over and I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a sheathed blade aimed for my head.
As I scrambled to my feet, my opponent spoke, "I thought I should finish this quickly. We don't want you marked for truanting. You still have school, remember?"
Uncle Michel was finally serious. He wasn't completely serious since his sword wasn't drawn, but he was finally wielding something sword-like. In any case, I don't expect to win against the Sword Saint in a straightforward match.
I retreated a few steps back. My chest felt tight, and my arms felt heavy. Uncle Michel, however, didn't look worse for wear.
From the start, I never did end up beating Uncle Michel in all our spars. Ever. His physical combat training was the only class I never passed.
One step. Two steps. He was slowly inching closer. Without a sword of my own, he had a longer reach. Any further and he'll whack me out cold.
So for the first time, I'll be cheating. We aren't training just swordsmanship anymore, old man!
The instant I entered his strike zone, his weapon became a blur. In that same instant, a layer of magic power enveloped my body. The sword aimed at my chest missed its mark.
I silently appeared behind him.
"Teleportation?!" he exclaimed.
I delivered a swift roundhouse kick to his knee to break his steadfast form.
Yet Uncle Michel, surprised as he was, still managed to intercept my leg and take hold of it.
I positioned myself in his blind spot! The guy was a monster to react to that!
Despite the surprise attack, I still ended up being worse off.
"You're still green!" Gripping me tightly, Uncle Michel thrusted his sword to my ribs. Albeit his weapon was in its sheath, the power of the Sword Saint mustn't be underestimated.
I couldn't dodge it in time.
A dull, deafening thud rang in my ears.
"...uhrk."
Half the sword was missing, buried deep into my chest.
But it was Uncle Michel who fell to his knees.
"...that's not fair." Those were his last words before he passed out.
I hadn't been stabbed through. I simply conjured a small gate between my ribs and the approaching sword. The exit lead to... well... a very fragile part of a man's body.
While he was wearing armor to protect that fragile part, as I've said, the power of the Sword Saint mustn't be underestimated.
"Healing magic should fix him up nicely... I think... eh, he'll still have kids."
I made my way back to Uncle Dis's office. My school uniform got a few tears here and there from the fight, but as I walked towards the office, it repaired itself.
"Halt! You must halt!"
Royal guards blocked my way. They must have heard the ruckus Uncle and I made.
"Shin, you have to calm down!"
"There's no need to do this, Shin."
Chris and Siegfried were among them. Right. They are the king's bodyguards, aren't they?
Lightning crackled between my fingertips.
They'll make for good opponents.
With two fingers pointed forward, I unleashed my magic.
...
When I reached the office after an otherwise easy battle, I finally came face-to-face with Uncle Dis. But he wasn't alone.
"Grandpa."
"Shin."
Seeing him immediately put me on high alert. Do I have to fight him too?
"Shin... there's no convincing you, is there?"
"You know my answer."
Grandpa Merlin went silent. He closed his eyes, contemplating my words.
Please.
I waited for his response. The atmosphere was uncomfortable. I've yet to be familiar to this feeling despite the many times my grandparents and I have argued. Many times, almost every single day, this same topic would be brought up.
I'm tired. I know that everyone else is tired too. Perhaps, this clue can help us get rid of this weight on our shoulders.
I miss my brother. I know that they miss him too. I know that they simply want to protect me by being so secretive. If even Thomas was captured, then so could anyone in the world.
But I have to see him. I need to know that he's safe. We all do.
Isn't it common sense to feel this way? So please...
Grandpa Merlin lifted his head. Indeed, his eyes were weary.
Sighing, he finally spoke.
...
...
...
Below the royal castle rested the dungeons which held all kinds of criminals. The walls were made of stone, and like an unexplored cave, darkness ruled every inch of it. I followed Uncle Dis and Grandpa down its depths, guided only by magical flame orbs acting as torches.
Uncle Michel was still out cold in some room in the castle, so he couldn't come.
"The clue is a person?" I said.
"People. They are people," said Uncle Dis.
"Why are they kept in a place like this? Isn't this the dungeons where criminals are held?"
"You'll understand when we get there, Shin."
Soon, we reached a cell with multiple silhouettes inside. Flame orbs entered the cell and illuminated the people of interest—the supposed clue to the organization, however helpful they may be.
"Woah, it's the Wise Man...!"
"Y—Your Majesty?!"
"Who's the young man with them? I've never seen him before."
"Have you been living under a rock?! That's Shin Wolford, Leader of the Ultimate Magicians!"
The first thing I noticed about this group was their age. The people inside were all the same age as me, give or take a year. The next thing of note was their magic power. From the amount I can detect, these people were magicians, and decent ones too.
"Can I?"
"Go ahead."
With permission from my elders, magic power escaped my pores and threatened to crush the cell and those in it under its weight.
"Uhrk!"
"I can't breathe!"
"Tell us everything," I commanded. I wasn't in the mood to hear any rubbish.
"Y—yes!"
...
There were kidnappings in Earlshide Kingdom. More than that, they happened before the initial kidnappings in the Empire.
Obviously, the kidnappings this time was different from what happened to the other countries. For some reason, the kidnapped were returned by the one responsible for abducting them in the first place.
So, through a bit of questioning, we learned that the organization performed some sort of magical surgery on the captives.
Upon hearing that, I probed their magic systems for foreign magic power or any oddities. I found nothing out of place. Physically, that is.
"Did anything change after the operation on your body?"
"Since that fateful day, I felt much calmer and less irritable. My servants used to avoid me in the past, but they've been warming up to me recently. Even my parents are happy to see the change."
"How about you guys?"
Various nods of acknowledgement erupted from the group.
Strange. I've never heard of magic like this before. It's a shame I can't study the intricate details behind its usage. From what I've heard, it can pose significant danger, especially since it affects the mind.
Apart from the experimentation, there was also the supposed existence of a vast treasury. Mountains of golden coins and ornaments, priceless gems and magic stones, and even an extravagant throne carved out of pure gold rested within that mythical place. The walls glimmered golden too despite being primarily made of a material resembling black glass, and more than that, if they weren't mistaken, the walls were enchanted.
Needless to say, I don't believe them. The fact that they were operated on in that treasury was pretty weird. Why there and not a proper medical room or torture room? I've never heard of enchanted walls either. Grandma certainly hasn't taught me anything that grand or shown a similar application. I guess they could be talking about a magic barrier and just missaw.
"Shin. Take a look at this." Once the group finished recalling the details of the treasury, Uncle Dis spoke up from the side.
He pulled out two gold coins and tossed them my way. When I snatched them from midair, he said, "Can you tell the difference between the two?"
Curious about the sudden request, I scrutinized the two coins.
Is there supposed to be one? There wasn't anything noteworthy—the coins were practically identical. The color, shape, markings, weight, and so on were the same.
"Then how about this one?" Uncle Dis tossed another coin. I caught it, and immediately, the difference made itself known.
It's heavier?
The discrepancies didn't stop there. The dungeons may have been dark, but I can clearly tell that this coin looked newer than the other two, as if it came out fresh from a medieval coin-making machine (I'm not sure how coins in the kingdom are made). No scratches on its surface whatsoever, and if my eyes aren't playing tricks, this new coin looked extra shiny.
Uncle Dis explained. "That one is a counterfeit. Differentiating the real ones from the fake wasn't particularly hard, which is why when these people tried to deposit the counterfeit coins in their bank accounts, they were immediately apprehended."
So that's why they're in the dungeons.
"We received those coins from our kidnapper! We wouldn't commit a crime like this, Your Majesty!" shouted one of the people in the cage. It urged the others to say the same thing.
They aren't lying. Their body language displayed their innocence on the matter. When people lie, my magic can detect the subtle hints that their body begin to involuntarily exhibit, such as sweating around the face or a spike in blood pressure. I perceived nothing of the sort. But this coin... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before...
"Actually, there are others who tried to deposit these counterfeits." Uncle Dis asked Grandpa to illuminate another cell nearby.
More people, but this time, they looked quite random.
The first cell contained people who shared similar qualities, whether it be their age and magical aptitude. Apparently, they were also part of wealthy households, noble or not, and even went to the same middle school.
"Your Majesty!" a man began to grovel on the ground, "I am nothing but a humble receptionist to one of the local schools! The gold coin was something I received from a stranger three months ago! If I knew it was fake, I would have reported it immediately!"
"It is the same for me, Your Majesty! A young man had given me the coin after I answered his question while working as a receptionist! Please have mercy!"
"Your Majesty! I—I saw this young man as well! I'm innocent!"
"Your Majesty!"
Well, perhaps there was a connection between these people.
"A young man, you say? Is it one of the young men in this cage?" I made more flame orbs to brighten the first cage. Perhaps the young man they were talking about was from the first group of prisoners. They did get the coins from the source, although it's odd that someone would simply give out gold coins.
"Umm..." For some reason, the receptionists hesitated to answer.
"Well? Which one is it?" I pressured them with magic power too. "I want you all to reconsider hiding possibly crucial information. This matter is of grave importance!"
"Okay, okay!"
Although I only used a fragment of my total magic power, the prisoners panted heavily with pale faces. Perhaps I was doing too much. I eased the pressure, but only a little.
"The young man... I don't recognize him among the youngsters."
Between heavy breaths, someone finally responded.
"But..."
"But? But what?" I urged the man to continue.
"...you, sir, remind me of him."
I rubbed my eyes. He was definitely pointing at me.
"Stop messing around," I scoffed at the man.
Yet the other prisoners agreed with him.
"Wait, you're right! He does look like him. Kind of."
"It's been a while, but my job as a receptionist requires me to remember people's faces in the name of good customer service. There IS a similarity."
Of course, it couldn't be me.
But then, their next words hit me like a sledgehammer.
"Do you perhaps have a brother?"